Page compressor and justifier.



R. LANGSETH.-

PAGE COMPRESSOR AND JUSTIPIEE.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG.22, 1913.

1,1 30,829. Patented Mar. 9, 1915;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n: NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON Dy (:4

B. LANGSETH.

PAGE COMPRESSOR AND JUSTIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1913.

1,1 30,829. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIHZ/ DIE NORRIS PETERS 80.. nomurna. WASHINGIVN. D C

warren sraaas remand? canine.

RANDOLPH LANGSE'II-I, OF I-IAM'MOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUTOMATIC J USTIFIER COMPANY, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PAGE COMPRESSOR AND JUSTIFIER.

Specification of Lettersl'atent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed. August 22, 1913. Serial No. 786,084.

ful Improvement in Page Compressors and J ustifiers, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the art of printing-the type is first set up to form a column or page and is then clampedin a form in order to print therefrom. The page or column usually consists of a large number of transverse rows which loosely engage with each other, so that when the composition is clamped in the form, more or less compression and shrinkage in the length of the page or column takes place. The amount of shrinkage varies for difierent columns or pages and therefore there will not be uniformity between the various pages of a publication made up of a plurality of pages, unless each page is accurately justifled. The justifying of a page of composition, in order tosecure accuracy in length is a slow and tedious process, and consequently an expensive one.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for conveniently compressing a page or column of composition and indicating exactly the amount of shortage in the page or column, in such units as to enable the compositor to, select instantly the necessary lead or leads to bring the page to the exact size desired.

I The various features of novelty whereby.

my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its object and advantages, reference may, be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus arranged in accordance with a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, a portion of the apparatus between the ends being broken away; Fig.

3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the scale being the same as that of Fig. 2, and the central portion of the apparatus being broken away; Fig. 4 1s a section taken approximately on line l4l of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 isa section taken on the line marked 5-5 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a fragment of the apparatus looking at the right hand end of Fig. 3. I r

, Referring to the drawings, 1 is a fiat table, preferably of metal, having near the front edge an upwardly-projecting ledge, 2, and at one side anupwardly-projecting ledge, 8, the two ledges being arranged accurately at r ght angles to each other and being provided with scales, land 5, graduated with the pica as a unit. The page or column is adapted to be set up on the table inthe corner formed by the two ledges, or it may,

be placed on the table after it has been set up. Movable lengthwise of the ledge 2and,

parallel with the ledge 3 is a presser foot or gage, 6, which is adapted to be brought, up against the end of a page or column of matter on the table and compress it. With the member 6 is associated a suitable indicator which will show the exact amount which the compressed column or page lacks in order to give it exactly the desired length 9 is a screw threaded shaft lying in the depressionor trough 8 and supported at its ends in suitable bearings, 10 and 11, forming, part of or rigidly connected with the ledge 2. i

The member 6 has a boss, 12, extending down 1nto the depression 8 and provided with an opening, 13, through which the screw shaft extends, the diameter of the opening being the same as the outside diameter of the screw shaft. A section of the member 6 just above the opening 13 is cut away so as to allow a dog, 1%, pivoted upon the upper side of the member 6 to project down into the opening. The portion of the dog 14 which projects into the opening 13 is provided with screw threads meshing With the th eads on t s aft 9- 'The e may be normally held in a position where n its screw threads engage with the screw threads on the shaft by a suitable spring, 15; and it may be provided with a finger piece or handle, 16, by which the dog may be raised against the tension of the spring so as to bring it clearof the shaft. It will be seen that when the dog is down, the come bined presser foot and gage-is interlocked with the screw shaft so that it cannot be moved lengthwise of the shaft unlessthere be a relative angular movement between the two. On the other hand, when the (ilOQ'lS raised, the combined presser foot and gage may be moved lengthwise of the shaft and independently of the latter.

- 'On the end of the screw shaft farthest removed from the ledge 3 is a bevel pinion, 18, meshing with a bevel gear, 19,- carried by asleeve, 20, which is adapted to' rotate on avertical post, 21, fixed to the table. For a reason which will hereafter appear, the bevel gear-19 is preferably made with twice as many teeth as the pinion 18 so that half a revolution of the gear corresponds to a complete revolution of the pinion. On the upper end of the sleeve 20 is a dlsk, 22, one edge having a radial extension, 23, provided with a handle, 24. The upper end of the post 21 is made conical as indicated at 25, and about this conical portion of the post fits the hub, 26, of a graduated dla'l, 27. On the disk, preferably on the radial extension 23, is a pointer, 28, which pro ects into proximity to the dial. The dial 1s d1- vide'd 'on its upper face into twenty-four equal parts by lines, 29. Beginning with one of the lines they are numbered in opposite directions, beginning with a zero, from lto 12,so "thatthe dial may be said to have two sets of graduations reading in opposite directions. By supporting the dial on the conical upper end of the post, it is frictional-lyh'eld in place so as normally to be a'stationa-ry part, but 'it may be lifted slightly 1 so astoturn it in order at any time to bring the zero point in registration with the pointer.

The operation is as follows: 30 representin'g' a column or page of typographical matter resting against the ledges 2 and 3, the handle 16 is depressed so as to raise the dog 15f out of engagement with the screw shaft and the combined presser foot and gage is then slipped along the ledge 2 until it engages with the end of the typographical matter. Upon releasing the handle 16, the dog is brought into operative engagement with the screw shaft and, by turning the handle 24, the member 6 may be forced against the end of the typographical matter so as to compress the same between the member 6 and the ledge 3. The dial, 27, is

then lifted from its seat on the supporting post and is turned until the zeromark registers with the pointer 28. The handle 24: is now turned backward so as to back the member 6 away from the typographical matter until its edge registers with the mark I on the scale 4 which corresponds to the exact length which the page or column of typographical matter should have. By making the pitch of the threads on the screw shaft pica, the pointer will move over the dial through an angle less than 180 degrees while the member 6 is being backed away to the mark on the ledge 2-indicating the exact page length- The dial therefore indicates infractions of one-twelfth of a pica the .shortage of the typographical matter and indicatesthe number of unit thicknesses of leads which must be inserted in the typographicalimatter to bring the compressed page or column to exactly the desired length.

Instead of first compressing the .typographical matter and then backing the mem ber 6 away, the member 6 may first be brought to the mark on the ledge 2 indicating the exact length of the column or page, the zero point on the dial bebrought into registration with the pointer, and the member 6 be then moved toward the typographical matter so as to compress the same; the; reading on the dial being the same as before except that the reading is in the opposite direction from the zero point from the reading obtained by backing away the combined presser foot and gage. I v

By having ledges or spacers correspond.-

ing in thickness to the units represented by the graduations on the dial or to the multiples of such units, the typographical mat-- ter may be justified very quickly and with the assurance that it will be exact.

It is desirable to be able to slide the typographical-matter off the end of the table at which the ledge 3 is located, receiving it in a tray or other suitable device without disturbing it. I therefore make the ledge 3 movable, sothat it may be carried out of the way when desired. Since the typographical matter is compressed by forcing it against the ledge 3, it is necessary that the latter be rigidly held when in its working position. I am able to move the ledge out of the way quickly and at the same timeimake it a rigid abutment whenin the working position, by fitting it into a vertical slot in the table, making it of considerable depth to give it a firm lateral support below the plane of the, M

top of the table. The ledge may conven iently be moved and be locked in its raised position by having a shaft, 31, extending through depending flanges, 32 and 33, on

V the table and passing lengthwise through the ledge, the shaft having thereon eccentrics, 3%, arranged in suitable pockets 1n the ledge. On the front end of the shaft is a handle, 35, by means of which it may be turned. On the rear end of the shaft is a radial pin, 36, whichcooperates with two stationary pins, 37 and 38, on the flange 33 of the tableso as to permit the shaft to be oscillated through an angle of 180 degrees. The parts are so proportioned that when the shaft 31 is at one limit ofits angular movement, the highest point on the eccentric is directly above the axis of the shaft. Therefore, when the shaft is at the other limit of its angular movement, the lowest point of the eccentric is directly above the axis of the shaft. The throw of the eccentric is just equal to the height of the ledge 3 above the table. Consequently when the handle 35 is turned in one direction as far as it will go, theledge 10 is raised and is locked in its raised position and when the handle is turned as far as it will go in the opposite direction the ledge is lowered until its upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the table and forms a continuation of the table across which the typographical matter may be slid without encountering any obstruction.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which fall within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a table adapted to support a body of typographical matter, mechanism on the table for compressing said body, and means cooperating with said mechanism to indicate the difl'erence in length between said body and a predetermined arbitrary unit.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a table adapted to support a body of typographical matter, a graduated ledge on the table, mechanism cooperating with said ledge to compress a body of typographical matter lying on the table adjacent to the ledge, and means cooperating with said mechanism to indicate the distance between the end of the compressed body and a predetermined point on the ledge.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a table, a graduated ledge on the table, a combined presser foot and gage slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, a screw shaft lying beside and extending throughout the length of said ledge for actuating the combined presser foot and gage, and an indicator connected to said screw shaft, said indicator being graduated to represent fractional parts of the scale unit on the ledge.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a table, a graduated ledge on the table, a combined compressor and gage device slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, an actuating screw for said device lying parallel with the ledge, an indicator connected with said screw and graduated so as to indicate fractional parts of a unitof the scale on the ledge, and means for adjusting said indicator so as to make it possible to set it at zero regardless of the position of said device along the ledge.

In an apparatus of the character described, a table, two ledges arranged at right angles to each other upon the table, a combined presser and gage device slidably mounted on one of the ledges and extending across the table parallel with the other ledge, and means for supporting the latter ledge so as to permit it to be retracted sufliciently to bring its upper face into the plane of the top of the table;

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a table, a graduated ledge on the table, a combined presser foot and gage slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, a screw shaft lying beside the ledge, an indicator connected to said screw shaft, said indicator being graduated to represent fractional parts of the scale unit on the ledge, and a dog movably mounted on said combined presser foot and gage in position to be moved into and out of engagement with said screw shaft.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a table having thereon two ledges arranged at right angles to each other, one of said ledges being graduated, a screw shaft extending lengthwise of and beside the graduated ledge, means for actuating said screw shaft, a combined presser foot and gage slidably mounted on the graduated ledge and extending across the table at right angles to the other ledge, said combined presser foot and gage being provided with screw threads meshing with the threads on said shaft.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a table, a graduated ledge on the table, a combined presser foot and gage slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, said ledge having a groove extending lengthwise thereof in its upper face, a screw shaft lying within said groove for actuating said combined presser foot and gage, and means for actuating said shaft.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a table, a graduated ledge on the table, a combined presser foot and gage slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, said ledge having a groove extending lengthwise thereof in its upper gage slidable along the ledge and projecting across the table, a screw shaft lying parallel with said ledge foractuating the combined presse'r foot and gage, means for actuating said shaft including a part revoluble about an axis at right anglesto the shaft, and a stationary disk arranged rec-axial with said part and having a graduated ledge lying in proximity to said part. 1

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

I RANDOLPH' LANGSETH. Witnesses:

A. D. STEWART, J. W. Bones.

Copies otijthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

